Peach Smoothie

     I love canned peaches!  There are so many things that you can do with them.  They taste good in pie, cobbler, fruit salad, jam, chutney, etc..  They are also really good in a smoothie.  Here is a recipe that I enjoy this time of year.  I thought that I would share it.  I hope you like it too!

Peach Smoothie:

1 1/2 c sliced peaches
1 c plain yogurt
1/4 c honey
1 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1 c almond milk
1 c crushed ice

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Crockpot Pork

     I found a pork roast on sale and decided to make pulled pork sandwiches for dinner tonight.  I love crockpot dinners!  It is SO nice to have dinner all taken care of early in the morning so that I can focus on more important things in the evening.  (Like spending time with my family.)

Crockpot Pork:

1 large pork roast
salt & pepper to taste
2 T minced garlic
1 t chili powder
1 T parsley
2 T minced onion
1 T worchesterchire sauce
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c BBQ sauce

Rub the roast with the seasonings and place in the crockpot.  Pour the water, BBQ sauce & worchesterchire sauce over the roast.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Shred the meat & mix in a bowl with more BBQ sauce.  Serve on toasted, buttered kaiser rolls.

Dessert Pizza

     Tonight was Friday night pizza.  I decided to make a dessert pizza to remind me of one of my favorite pizza places in Idaho called Primos.  They had the BEST dessert pizza!  I can't say that mine tasted exactly like theirs, but it was pretty good.

Dessert Pizza:

pre-made pizza dough
pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough (with grated chocolate chips)
pre-made white icing
cinnamon to taste

Roll out the pizza dough very thin.  Dot with the cookie dough and drizzle with icing.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Cut into slices and eat warm.

Leftover Beef Roast Recipe

     I made a roast a few days ago and we have been eating on it all week.  We had roast dinner one night, shepherds pie another night, and tonight we had barbecue sauce roast over brown rice.  It turned out really good.  It was a very quick recipe to make.

Leftover Beef Roast Recipe:

2 c finely cut roast
1 can tomato sauce
1 c water
1 T minced onion
salt to taste
1/2 t chili powder
3 T white rice vinegar
3 T raw sugar
cooked brown rice

Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan and cook on medium low until bubbly.  Serve over brown rice.

Tanya's Tasty Nachos

     My friend Tanya makes the BEST nachos!  We don't eat nachos very often, but when we do this is the recipe that I use.

Tanya's Tasty Nachos:

1 bag tortilla chips
1 whole rotisserie chicken shredded
1/2 c sliced olives
1 diced tomato
1 can black beans
1 can refried beans
2 c shredded cheese
1/4 c salsa (red or green)
1 bunch of diced cilantro
1/2 c sour cream
1 diced avocado

Spread out the chips on a large baking sheet.  Top with chicken, olives, tomatoes, beans, cheese, salsa & cilantro.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Dot with sour cream and sprinkle with avocados.

Pesto

     I am watering my neighbor's garden and flowers while she is out of town.  She told me to pick some produce so that she wouldn't be overwhelmed by it when she got home.  I picked a bunch of basil that was starting to go to seed and I made some pesto.  I didn't have any pine nuts or Parmesan cheese so I just improvised with what I had on hand.  It turned out delicious!  Here is the recipe:

Pesto:

2 c basil leaves
1/2 c walnuts
1 t garlic
salt & pepper to taste
3 slices of cheddar cheese cut into cubes
1/2 c olive oil

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  You can add more olive oil if the mixture seems too dry.  I put half of my pesto into ziplock bags and place them in the freezer for later use.  The other half of the pesto I put in pasta.  It tastes really good with crackers or on a sandwich in place of mayonnaise.

Macaroni Tuna Casserole

     My daughter is learning to cook by herself.  Tonight, she made dinner for our family.  I was SO proud of her.  She even cleaned up after herself which was a bonus.  This recipe is one of the first casseroles that I learned to make when I was her age.

Macaroni Tuna Casserole:

1 box macaroni & cheese (we use Annie's or homemade works too)
1 can tuna in water
1 bag frozen peas
1/2 c. mayonnaise
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c. shredded cheese

Cook macaroni & cheese according to the box instructions.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, place mayonnaise and drained tuna.  Stir well.  Add macaroni & cheese and fold in the frozen peas.  Salt & pepper to taste.  Place in a greased square pan and sprinkle the cheese on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.